The present invention generally relates to warning devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to an appliance and integrated system which detects physical condition or environmental threats and alerts a user of the appliance or a third party of the environmental hazard exceeding a predefined limit and/or an abnormal physical condition of the user.
Certain work conditions can be very dangerous. For example, in coal mines methane gas can pose a potential suffocation or explosion threat. In a nuclear facility radiation leaks are a constant concern to the workers and those living nearby. Other industries are also posed with biochemical and chemical hazards. In some instances, very large, elaborate and expensive detection systems are employed to detect such radiation leaks or elevated chemical or biological hazards. An example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,591 to Miller. However, these systems are expensive and complicated and due to their size are not mobile, thus limiting their range of detection. In other instances, particularly in fields where radiation is a concern, workers wear badges which increasingly illuminate as the radiation exposure increases. Such badges are typically worn by nuclear reactor facility personnel, radiological and x-ray technicians and the like. However such badges are limited in efficacy as the user must periodically view the tag to determine the amount of radiation to which the worker has been exposed. In the event of a fatal radiation, chemical or biological agent leak, workers at the plant not in the immediate vicinity of such a leak or those living nearby the plant may not be aware of such a leak for quite sometime due to the limitations of the prior art detection systems.
Clean-up crews of environmental hazards are also exposed to such risks. Clean-up crews may wear protective suits and more sophisticated sensors. However, these sensors are limited in many of the same ways as the previously described badges and sensors as well as being cumbersome. Moreover, different individuals may react to different levels of a hazard differently. Such sensors would not take this into account.
Due to chemical, biological, nuclear and radioactive “dirty bomb” weapons, armed forces are increasingly in danger in armed conflicts. Such danger is not necessarily limited to an actual armed conflict, but may also occur at military bases when the armed force personnel are off-duty or sleeping. The cost and lack of mobility of prior art sensing devices has limited their use in such applications. Accordingly, live animals, such as chickens, have been used in some instances to ascertain whether a non-visible nuclear, chemical or biological threat is present.
Increasing terrorism concerns has expanded the risk of such environmental radioactive, biological and chemical hazards. Policemen and airport workers are now in danger. The public at large is also at danger of such biological, chemical and “dirty bomb” attacks. Such substances can be dispersed without a bomb and due to their invisible nature the public may not even know if an attack occurs. For example, in the Gulf War, there was a constant concern in major Israeli cities of such attacks. In the United States since Sep. 11, 2001, the government has periodically sent detection crews into major cities in an effort to determine if such weapons have been unknowingly used.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for a system for detecting such environment hazards. Preferably, the system would involve sensors which would be mobile and user-specific. In some instances, monitoring the physical condition of an individual as well as the environmental hazard would be desirable. The system should be able to alert not only the individuals within the environmental hazard, but also those outside of the hazard for evacuation purposes and the like. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.